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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. band — a ring
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — a face
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — a cup
  21. band — a music group
  22. press — to push
  23. cold — an illness
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com